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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

ASELCO determined to accomplish PNoy’s BLEP, SEP
targets in AgSur

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, July 14 (PIA) - The
Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ASELCO) is determined to energize
sitios, puroks and barangays in the province of Agusan del Sur as it races with
time before the conclusion of subsidized electrification programs of the Aquino
Administration come 2016.

The coop aims to energize for this year alone a
total of 173 sitios and puroks and seven barangays to benefit 6,744 households.
The thought of accomplishing this target in a year is in itself overwhelming
added with the geographic and transportation condition of reaching the areas,
it is even more daunting.

“Can we do it?” ASELCO’s General Manager, Engr.
Emmanuel B. Galarse posed a challenging question to the barangay officials,
sitio leaders and contractors during the 2015 Batch 1 Sitio Electrification
Program (SEP) and Barangay Line Enhancement Program (BLEP) Coordination Meeting
recently. “Yes, we can with all your help. Yes, we can with everybody working
together. ASELCO can only do so much but your assistance is of the utmost
importance,” he answered with utmost certainty.

ASELCO’s strong partnership with the local
government of Agusan del Sur and good rapport with project Contractors and
Suppliers made the coop stand out in the implementation of SEP and BLEP.
Testaments to this are the Sunshine Electric Cooperative (EC) Awards given by
the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in 2013 for being the top
implementer of SEP and BLEP. Recently, news reached the coop that NEA has
ranked ASELCO as one of the top 5 implementers for calendar year 2014. Since 2011,
ASELCO has already energized 563 sitios and puroks and enhanced electrical line
connections in 43 barangays. ASELCO’s distribution lines now reach the remote
mountain villages in the municipality of Sibagat and the flood-prone plains of
Sabang Adgawan and Sabang Gibong in the Agusan Marsh.

Moreover, line construction for the 2015 SEP and
BLEP beneficiaries is on-going. First batch beneficiaries are expected to be
completed by the end of the month.

BLEP and SEP was launched by the Aquino
Administration in its pursuit for inclusive national development in 2011 and
2012, respectively. These programs enable electric cooperatives like ASELCO to
extend its distribution lines to previously unviable areas through the
financial support from the government.

This year’s project is worth P 258,531,225.09 of
government subsidy. (ASELCO/PIA-Caraga)

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, July 14 (PIA) – A
consolidated report by health officials in Surigao del Sur bared a total of
1,198 individuals, mostly elementary pupils, high school and college students
from public schools, who have been rushed to different hospitals and clinics,
public and private, district-wide on Friday, last week, due to ingestion of
durian, mango, and mangosteen candies.

According to Dr. Algerico Irizari, provincial
health chief here during the press conference last Saturday afternoon, the number of patients accounted for only
represents those who sought medical treatment after manifesting symptoms like
vomiting and abdominal pain.

In Adela Serra-Ty Memorial Medical Center
(ASTMMC), this city, the number of victims who came for medical attention
reached up to 213, the most number of victims, among all medical facilities in
the entire province.

Tomasito “Dongay” Pareja, assistant provincial
administrator, who presided over the press conference on behalf of Governor
Johnny Pimentel, described the incident as “chaotic.”

Since 10 a.m. on that unfortunate Friday, all
roads leading to ASTMMC, the biggest hospital here, had been jam-packed with
all types of vehicles, public and private, including that of the army and
police, aside from ambulances.

Siren had been continuously wailing, attracting
anybody’s attention that indeed there was an emergency situation going on.

Meanwhile, two separate inquest proceedings,
respectively, conducted by Atty. Constantino Cravajales, assistant provincial
prosecutor, against five suspects apprehended in Cagwait and Atty. Benjamin Uy,
Tandag City Prosecutor’s Office, have been held Monday morning.

On the part of Constantino, who made the inquest
proceeding against five suspect apprehended in Cagwait said charges of “Physical
Injury in relation to RA 10611 otherwise known as Food Security Act of
2013; RA 7394 or The Consumer Act of the
Philippines, and; Physical Injury in
relation to 7610” are set to be filed at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) here.

Atty. Uy confirmed that he also personally
conducted the inquest proceeding against the two suspects nabbed in the city.

In Tandag, the suspects were identified by police
as Genelyn Dorgas Pasa and Henryto Bitco Amoguis.

Moreover, the police force here under P/SSupt.
Narciso Verdadero, provincial director, identified 13 suspects, but clarified
only eight have been in police custody, five are still at large. However, as of
latest development, the alleged suspect caught in Tagbina town, identified as
Richard Briones y Artes, was freed after police interrogation due to lack of
evidence according to SPO1 Nel Rillon, one of the investigators at the Police
Provincial Office (PPO).

On related developments, results of the laboratory
test for the “candy samples” confiscated will come out after five to seven
days, authorities said. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tadag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, July 14 (PIA) – The
Parole and Probation Office here is set to celebrate their 39th Anniversary
with special moments.

Weeklong activities are already lined up on July
18-24, according to Editha Lemosionero, chief probation and parole officer.

A Thanksgiving Mass at 6:00 a.m. at the City
Cathedral will mark the opening of the event, it was learned.

With the theme “DOJ-PPA @ 39: Sustaining Its
Dynamism Towards the Effective Interplay of Environmental and Societal Change,”
the highlights for Sportsfest and Laro ng Lahi include basketball, volleyball,
sack race, takyang, patintero, luksong tinik, and free haircut between 7:00
a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the city gymnasium on July 22-23.

Meanwhile, Lemosionero said that their office has
a total of 55 probationers and 56 parolees aside from five new pending
applicants.

The celebration will culminate at the PPA Regional
Office in Butuan City on July 23-24. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tadag/PIA-Surigao del
Sur)

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 14 (PIA) – A
total of nine facilities set up by the Department of Trade and Industry-Surigao
del Norte Provincial Office (DTI-SDN) under the agency’s Shared Service
Facilities (SSF) have been benefitting micro entrepreneurs under their
proponent organizations across the province of Surigao del Norte since 2014.

“With such equipment and facility, these micro
entrepreneurs are able to increase their income through improved production and
increased production capacity,” said DTI provincial director Celestino
Negapatan as he recounted that a team of SSF project evaluators have visited
the province last June 2015 to look into the actual status of utilization of
the processing equipment to its intended beneficiaries.

The projects worth over P5 million went to
community-based organizations.

Among the community-based recipients are women
organizations: the Kababayen-an sa Panatao Producers Cooperative on their
Virgin Coconut Oil Production project (Barangay Panatao, Claver), Mayag Women’s
Association on their Coco Sap Sweetener Processing project(Barangay Mayag,
Sison) and Samahan ng mga Kababaihan with their Cassava Fritters Processing
project (Barangay Cancohoy, Del Carmen).
The latter was the latest to receive their equipment which was delivered
last June 17-19, 2015.

Two recipients are from the municipality of
Malimono namely, the Tinago Eagles Fisherfolks and Farmers Association (TEFFA)
on their Bamboo Slat Production project (Barangay Tinago, Malimono) and the
Malimono Farmers Consumers Cooperative with their Coco Sap Sweetener Processing
project (Barangay Cayawan, Malimono).

Four other farmer-groups also received equipment
under the SSF program; Esperanza Farmers Credit and Consumers Organization with
their CamoteMoledo Processing project (Esperanza, Del Carmen), Claver Coconut
Famers Multi-Purpose Cooperative with their Geo-Net Production Project
(Barangay Daywan, Claver), Trinidad Farmers Agra Multi-Purpose Cooperative for
its Calamay Production project (Barangay Trinidad, Surigao City) and the Local
Government of Alegria to support farmers beneficiaries on their Bamboo Slat
Production. (DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Caraga)

Caraga launches 1st municipal negosyo center

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur, July 14 (PIA) -
Described as “the most open and transparent” Negosyo Center (NC) in the region
or the country so far for its floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the NC in this
municipality formally opened on June 29, 2015.

It is also the 1st municipal NC launched in the
Caraga Region.

Mayor Jenny de Asis of the municipality of San
Francisco said everyone is happy with the enactment of the Go Negosyo Law which
made the setting up of the center in their area possible. “San Francisco is the most competitive
municipality in 2013 and we are proud of that.
Having the first municipal NC in the region is another feat.” She asked
the representative of Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino – Luke Buniel to relay the LGU’s thanks to the senator.

Sangguniang panlalawigan member Edwin Demegillo,
who represented the provincial governor congratulated and praised the
municipality of San Francisco. He said the local government unit (LGU) has
always been an example of good things being done in the province. He said other
municipalities are looking up to San Francisco and so everybody should work
together to make the Negosyo Center prosper or else other towns will be
discouraged.

Buniel for his part thanked the stakeholders for
their collective effort, noting that not all national and local governments
work well together. He said the
establishment of Negosyo Centers is among the promises of Senator Aquino-
“trabaho, negosyo, edukasyon.” He expressed
his hope for microfinancing institutions to partner with the center to provide
financing information and assistance to the NC clients.

DTI-Agusan del Sur provincial director Lolita
Dorado also thanked all the stakeholders who gave their support and will
continue to contribute to the success of the center. She explained the Go negosyo Act and
discussed the services of the center for existing and would-be
entrepreneurs. The pasalubong corner in
the center is also prioritizing San Francisco products for display and
marketing. She also encouraged the micro
small and medium enterprise (MSMEs) owners to make use of the services of the
center to be able to avail of opportunities like joining the supply chain for
companies in the areas – the Gaisano malls, mining firms and others. “Now your negosyo center is open to serve
you,” she said.

Agusan del Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry
represented by its President Engr. Freddie Mero reminded those present that the
success of the center depends on everyone- not only the DTI, LGU and the
chamber.

The LGU-San Francisco Sangguniang Bayan represented
in the launch by the SB Secretary Sugano earlier passed a resolution in support
of the Negosyo Center.

Guests and participants to the launch included
representatives of the market vendors, peoples’ organizations and beneficiary
groups of the livelihood programs of other government agencies like DSWD.

They, together with the LGU, chamber and MSME Development Council Officials all signed the commitment wall. A number committed to become mentors or
resource persons.

NC-San Francisco also did its first major activity
as one of the highlights during the launch.
The business councellors did crowd sourcing of the priority training
programs to be conducted in the center through the filled-out checklist of
possible topics from among the MSME attendees.

NC-San Francisco is strategically located near the
commercial district and along the
national highway. It is housed on a two-story buillding owned by the LGU of San
Francisco. Part of the space is occupied
by the Municipal Tourism Office. (DTI-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)